06-Feb-2005 -- I started on Sunday at 5:40 a.m. from my home in London-Hammersmith. This seems to be a strange time to start, but it’s actually a good time when leaving London on a bicycle. The traffic has reached its weekly minimum and it’s always good to be early in order to avoid reaching a confluence after dusk.

On my way I came through Ilford, Romford, Chelsford (where it unfortunately started to rain) and Witham (where I accidentally got on the Motorway). But then I continued on some nice small roads via Aldham, Fordham, Great Horkesley, Boxted, Highham, Holton St Mary to the confluence point. The weather-god also got friendly to me.

At 1:00 p.m. I reached the confluence from the north after passing through a gate and hiking 350m over fallow land. The point is fairly easy to reach, just 14 m into a field.

After I had documented the confluence a man with a rifle approached me. I was scared – not that he might shoot me, but that I might be on private land and would face trouble now. Fortunately, this was not the case. He only warned me, that it’s quite dangerous for me to walk around in this area during hunting season. The hunter was a friendly nature-boy who new the area very well.

He was going after pigeons and explained to me how great they taste after being baked. Suddenly a rabbit just 1m away from us came out off his hiding-place and ran away. When I asked my friendly hunter if also shoots rabbits he said it would be no problem for him to shoot one for me. Well, I had already other plans for dinner.

On my way back I came through the village Great Wenham within 1 km distance with its beautiful church. I reached the coast at Manningtree
within 7 km distance during low tide.

I partially rode back towards London until it got dark. Then I caught a train back to London and I got home at 7:00 p.m. after a having cycled 170 km.

CP visit details:
Time at the CP: 13:00 p.m.
Duration: 13h 20 min (until I was back home)
GPS height: 46 m
Distance of bike parking: 14 m
Description: The point is on a huge swede field just 14m from the southern edge. The area is slightly hilly with grass land, field and some trees bordering them.
Given Name: The Pigeon-Hunter Confluence.